Ultrasonographig Aspects of Mammary Tumours in Bitches

Abstract

Some imaging aspects of mammary tumours in bitch were investigated in order to individualize them fromother pathologies and among themselves. 10 bitches of different breeds and ages that were presented to the Clinicof Animal Reproduction for suspicion of mammary tumours were subjected to a complete clinical examination andan imaging investigation using ultrasound and colour Doppler. Subsequently, tissue samples were collected andsent for histological diagnosis.In total there were investigated 18 tumours with an average of 1.8 tumours/animal; 94.4 % of tumourswere malignant, and 5.6% were benign. Of the malignant tumours, 82.36% had irregular margins, 88.24% wereheterogeneous and 17.65% showed areas of necrosis. In 11.76% of cases there were imaging artefacts. Increasedblood o€low was observed around the margins of the tumour in 82.36% of examined tumours using colour Doppler.The benign tumour had oval margins, mild granulation and one central blood vessel. Using ultrasound and colourDoppler examination, mammary tumours can be differentiated from other mammary pathologies and one caneven determine, with a high level of accuracy, if the tumour is malignant or benign.